Agriculture and Environment: Tea

Introduction

The main harmful environmental impact of tea production is habitat conversion. This is especially true for tea because much of the habitat used for cultivation is often located in more rugged and remote areas, which tend to be those with the highest biodiversity.

Converting rugged natural habitat to tea production has multiple effects. Not only is the number of species reduced, but also, due to the slope of the land, considerable soil is lost before the plantations are fully established to protect the soil.

As a consequence, a fair amount of soil degradation can occur. Energy use is another environmental cost. All tea must be dried. Wood is usually the source of energy for this, and as a result drying can lead to localised deforestation.

Finally, there is some waste that results from processing tea, but since it is organic matter it can be easily reintegrated as a soil amendment depending on its acidity.